Drinking Buddies Side B
by Shin-no-Nekochan
Summary: [WeissKreuz&Saiyuki] Nachtregen epic, side story to Drinking Buddies. While Youji & Gojyo are out, the rest of the Weiss & Saiyuki teams keep busy, too. Left to their own devices, why would Aya & Sanzo make a bet about the playboys? [YoujixAya, 535]
1. The Definition of a 'Good Time'

Disclaimer: _Weiss Kreuz_ belongs to Koyasu Takehito and _Saiyuki_ belongs to Minekura Kazuya. I'm just a fan-girl with more than one obsession. XD

Thanks to: ASeptemberRose for coming up with Drinking Buddies in the first place and letting me write this side story. :-D

A/N: I've been into Weiss Kreuz for years, but Sept recently got me into Saiyuki. She wrote Drinking Buddies with my input for the Weiss characters' voices and then I got permission to fill in the gaps with what Omi, Hakkai, Ken, Goku, Aya, and Sanzo were doing while the playboys were out … and what on earth Aya and Sanzo made a _bet_ about – better still, why?

Also: While I give no explanation as to why or how Aya and Youji as well as Gojyo and Sanzo got together, I have always loved Nekojita's _Violet Eyes_ series and Befanini's _Torrent_ thread the best tales for how these unlikely pairings could come about. If you wish to read these series, Befanini is on this site and I can provide anyone with the link to Nekojita's site.

However, this story **is** technically part of ASeptemberRose's Nachtregen epic and in it she also gives her rendition of the events … or at least Gojyo & Sanzo's side of it. Hmm … I may have to ask her to let me write Youji & Aya's! smile

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**Drinking Buddies Side B #1 – The Definition of a 'Good Time'**

-

Scratching his head, Youji walked out of the greenhouse and paused to laugh at the sight he beheld: poor Ken was on closing duty. He took up his usual position at the cash register to continue observing the scene. Long legs stretched and crossed over top of the machine and arms bent behind his head, he looked for all the world like a sunbather with his trademark sunglasses on.

Aya glared in the lanky playboy's direction. If it hadn't been closing time, Aya would have reprimanded him for such unprofessional behavior.

"Thank you for your business! Good-bye! See you tomorrow! Yes, yes, thank you! Have a good afternoon!" After shoving the last babbling schoolgirl out of the shop, Ken sighed, letting his forehead fall to the door as he flipped the sign on the front window of the Koneko no Sumu Ie to 'We are / CLOSED / for the day'. "You'd think we were never going to open again the way they go on an' on every night at close."

"Still, I bet it's nice to have an adoring crowd, even as a florist." Omi smiled in his friend's direction as he swept the floors. "Or is it still tough being so popular, Ken-kun?"

"Personally, I don't mind it…" Youji began, but he stopped and grinned when he noticed Aya's eyebrow twitching.

_More like addicted to it_. The glare was maintained in Youji's direction; they really didn't need a daily reminder of just how much he enjoyed any form of attention.

Ken blushed furiously and tried to suppress it as he turned on Omi. "Hey, Omi, they're **your** 'adoring fans' too! More of them know you from school, anyway!"

"It doesn't matter who brings them in if they don't buy anything," Aya grumbled as he shuffled through their short stack of receipts from the day's order.

Youji smirked. "It just means less work for us, which means no after-hours working today, right, Aya?" He unfolded his legs from on top of the register and sauntered over to the redhead with only two strides. Whispering ever so softly as he bent over Aya's shoulder, "I can think of a few more productive ways to spend that time."

Just then a squeak came from the direction of the greenhouse as the door was opened. The four florists turned to see one of their guests standing in the doorway smiling, wiping dirt off his hands in a satisfied manner. It was the man with short brown hair and a monocle. Qi was the only name they knew for him.

"My, my, I simply cannot decide which of your jobs is more stressful. I certainly am happy to have been working in the back all day."

Omi looked embarrassed as he replied, "But a guest really shouldn't be burdened with such work at all."

The man continued smiling as he gave a little laugh, appearing to relax a little, "Oh but I don't mind in the least, Bombay-san. I'm sure I saw each of you in the back at least once today, so please don't think I was lonely. Also, I used to have a garden, so I enjoy this kind of work – and this is my way of saying 'thank-you' for lodging us for the time being."

Ken chimed in since Omi remained embarrassed by the honorific. "You Saiyuki guys are full employees of Kritiker now, right? So it's **only** until you guys get a permanent base – I mean, we're even getting stipends for letting you stay here."

"True, but we still don't know how long it will be before that base is operational." The tall brunette clasped his hands together. "So, what shall I make for dinner?"

Omi gave a little sigh and Ken laughed before saying, "I'll eat just about anything home-cooked, but Aya might –" It was then that he noticed Youji and Aya were missing. "I swear I'll never understand how Aya puts up with a tomcat like Youji."

"Prolly 'cuz he makes it worth his while." Everyone's heads turned to the speaker, who was standing at the base of the stairs down to the basement. It was the redhead they knew as 'Fei', lit cigarette dangling from his lips. "If Siberian's done, the monkey's goin' abs'lutely nuts downstairs – wants a rematch with you at foosball."

Ken snorted. "Does he really think he can beat an ex-J-Leaguer at a soccer-style game?" He turned to Omi. "I'm excused since I'm keeping him occupied, aren't I?"

Omi nodded. "Ayan would never forgive us if Hao-kun broke any of those brand new pots that just arrived today."

'Fei' looked over at 'Qi'. "Oi, Hakkai, you still haven't given them our civ' names? I thought you were gonna' exchange that info an' get back to us?"

Hakkai, the monocle-eyed man, smiled sheepishly before answering, "Ah, I'm terribly sorry, Gojyo. It must have slipped my mind."

"We'll exchange them over dinner," Omi suggested and looked back at Ken, making a shooing motion. "Please don't keep Hao-kun waiting any longer. Oh and Fei-san, please remember that we try to keep the smoking restricted to the basement; Yotan constantly forgets that. We'll call all of you for dinner." He then looked back at Hakkai. "I'll show you around our kitchen, Hakkai-san."

As Ken tromped down the stairs and Omi and Hakkai headed for the kitchen, Gojyo cast a longing glance at the stairs to the upper level, to where he imagined the 'tomcat' was playing with his favorite toy. He thought, _Must be nice … being together **and** with your teammates knowing. Hell, looks like they even **approve** of it – some guys get all the luck._

-

"Come on, Aya!"

"No!"

The door slammed behind the blond as the redhead turned on the older man with arms folded across his chest.

"It's a mission with a really good cause –"

"**Mission? **You call _this_ a **mission?**"

This had to be one of the craziest things the blond had **ever** proposed doing …

"—And it only needs to be the two of us! Omi and Ken don't have to know a **thing**—"

"I'd **almost** prefer they did." _And that's saying something coming from me about his own damned 'boyfriend', the most selfish and lazy man on the **planet** – Youji is his own first priority_ …

Youji moved closer to Aya and leaned down to whisper, "You know you want to." He gave Aya a quick peck on the cheek.

"I **want** to make a fool of myself, do I?" _… His own first priority except when **his** boyfriend can and has threatened to cut him off, it seems._ Aya tried to look as angry as possible in the face of Youji's pleading, gorgeous green eyes.

The next kiss was planted on the redhead's cheek. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"Hn."

"Kitten…" Youji whined, leaning down for another kiss.

Aya frowned, fending off the over-sexed man, but still said nothing.

Youji brushed a few stray hairs out of his lover's face and tilted the smaller man's chin up so that he could gaze down into those **beautiful** violet orbs. "Please?"

Aya gave an exasperated sigh. He nodded in agreement and suddenly Youji was kissing him again. Out of breath, he managed to gasp out between kisses, "You. Are. Spoiled."

Youji only grinned after the barrage was complete. "I love you, Ayan," the blond whispered before taking the younger man into his arms for a passionate tryst.

-

"NO FAIR! AWWW!" Goku wailed, pounding the side of the game stand, "That's the fourth time t'night!" The tiny soccer ball appeared at the pocket for the side he'd been defending.

Ken couldn't suppress a chuckle, hands still on his defender's knobs. "Sorry, Goku, but this **is** one of my favorite games. Maybe something else?"

"NO WAY!" Goku insisted, pointing an index finger at Ken. "I don't care if you're better 'n me, but I'm gonna' beatcha' at least ONCE tonight!"

"Not likely!" Ken laughed as Goku reset the ball in the middle and they went at it again. The sounds of quickly spun, roughly turned knobs resounded in the basement.

Gojyo sighed and looked over at Sanzo, sitting in the corner of the room with a book he'd borrowed from Aya. It was the only comfy chair in the room – the rest were strictly utilitarian – so Gojyo had taken to lying stretched out on the couch in front of the big-screen TV as he tried to nap in spite of the dueling sports-nuts. How Sanzo managed to block out all that noise was beyond him.

"Yo, Saiyuki! Dinner-time!" Came a voice from behind him. He strained his neck and saw that it was the tomcat 'Balinese', whom he was pretty sure he'd heard called 'Youji' earlier – maybe the 'Yotan' the little kid had referred to?

"YEAH! FOODFOODFOODFOOD!" Goku said excitedly as he raced up the stairs with Ken hot on his heels.

"Hey, I won that last match so I still get first dibs on the seat nearest to the main dish!" The taller brunette called, but he was pretty sure it fell on deaf ears; if Goku had put such a specific thing down as his wager for that last game, he doubted Goku was about to relinquish it, no matter the outcome, especially if he was anything like Ken at the dinner table. He was starting to fear he would be right.

Sanzo placed his bookmark in the pages and slowly got up to follow them.

Youji watched him leave and then turned a puzzled look on Gojyo, who was busy pulling out a cigarette from his pack of Hi-Lites. Youji heard 'Damn lighter broke **again**?' before asking, "You coming up?"

Gojyo shrugged and settled back into the couch, the unlit cigarette still in his mouth. "Not really in the mood t' eat right 'bout now."

"You in the mood for beer?"

Gojyo pushed himself up on his left hand and turned sideways to face the blond with an eyebrow raised. "Say what?"

"I asked if you were in the mood to go drinking. I know this great little place I haven't been to in ages, and you seem like the type who gets rid of their bad moods in a bar," Youji noted. "I'm that type, myself, actually." He tried to emphasize his sincerity by giving a little shrug and a wide smile.

Gojyo thought about it for a minute. Maybe a kindred spirit to talk to was what he needed right about now. Plus, who was he to turn down an invitation to go out after they'd been cooped up for the past few days? What with the mission when they'd met Weiss, the recuperation time, then waiting for their new base to be complete … Come to think of it, when **was** the last time he'd gone out for an evening? It **had** to have been before he and Sanzo started … "Sure thing. I'll be right there after I change into something more appropriate for the occasion." _Tonight is about getting rid of my bad mood, not making it worse by getting bitter … _

"No problem, me too. See you in a bit." Youji gave a little wave as he went upstairs, pushing his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose as he went.

Gojyo got up to follow him since his guest bedroom was upstairs – as was Sanzo's – and paused in thought. He turned around, reached into the left pocket of Sanzo's mission coat lying over the couch, and grabbed his leader's lighter. Better to have a borrowed lighter than none at all, he decided, even if there would be consequences later.

-

"ITADAKI**_MAA_**—OW! What was that for, Sanzo?" Goku whined. Ken couldn't help but snicker as Omi looked puzzled, yet intrigued, by the antic.

Sanzo quietly tucked the harisen away before he answered. "Ch, bakazaru. Guests wait until their host serves them." Sanzo was well within hitting distance of Goku since he was on Goku's right at the tableside facing the appliances.

"Guess that means I can serve myself then…" Ken laughed and reached for the meat buns in front of him, but the top of a ladle smacked the tops of his hands. "AH! Hey—Omi!?" He pouted in his friend's direction. Ken was at the end of the table farthest from Goku, but Omi was on his left at the tableside closer to the counter.

Omi gave a little smirk as he returned the ladle to its place by the miso soup. "Hakkai-san worked very hard on this meal, Ken-kun, so we're all going to take our time and enjoy it." Omi tuned to Hakkai on his right. "Now, will you be so kind as to serve us, Hakkai-san?"

Hakkai smiled pleasantly, but then gave a small gasp, "Oh, Tsukiyono-san … won't Gojyo and Kudou-san be joining us?"

Aya gave a little 'hn' from his place across from Omi and next to Sanzo.

Omi supplied what Aya apparently didn't feel obligated to announce. "Youji said he was going to take Gojyo-san to one of his favorite bars and that they wouldn't be eating with us. I'm actually relieved; I'm not sure how we'd have fit eight around this table and I thought it would be a nice way for them to become buddies anyway."

Ken rolled his eyes and moaned. "You mean **drinking** buddies … Trust Youji to skip out on his night to do dishes for some cheap alcohol. They'll be back late if Youji has anything to say about it."

"Well, maybe we could do something too?" Omi suggested, "Like go see a movie or—"

A loud rumbling-squeak came from Goku's general direction. "I'm sorry … but can we **please** eat first??"

Hakkai was mildly entertained during dinner; since Goku normally fought with Gojyo over the food, the slightly different antics between Goku and Ken were… at least as loud and aggressive, but not as insulting – all of that despite being on opposite ends of the table.

On the other side, both Sanzo and Aya ate quietly, occasionally speaking up to ask for more tea or to request a dish get passed or to answer a direct question.

Omi and Hakkai and planned the evening more or less by themselves throughout the course of dinner. Hakkai would drive Omi, Ken, and Goku to the movie theater and the movie would be decided when they got there, leaving Sanzo and Aya to a quiet evening by themselves.

Everyone seemed thrilled by the idea –thrilled meaning that Goku was ready to go five minutes after he was done eating, Ken kept dropping plates in the sink as he and Omi quickly tried to clean up the dishes, and Sanzo and Aya actually had tiny smiles tugging at the corners of their mouths. With a bit of encouragement, Hakkai managed to get Goku out to the garage and into the Jeep so that Ken and Omi could finish in peace.

The perpetual peacekeeper had to wonder, though, whether or not his companions would truly appreciate his sacrifice.

-

Note: 'Itadakimasu' is the traditional Japanese phrase to be said right before a meal begins, akin to 'Let's eat' and 'Thank you for the food' since it is polite and said in a distant (rather than friendly) tone. Goku gets interrupted before he can finish saying it.


	2. When the Playboys are Away

Disclaimer: _Weiss Kreuz_ belongs to Koyasu Takehito and _Saiyuki_ belongs to Minekura Kazuya. I'm just a fan-girl with more than one obsession. XD

Thanks to: ASeptemberRose for coming up with Drinking Buddies link: in the first place and letting me write this side story. :-D

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**Drinking Buddies Side B #2 – When the Playboys are Away…**

-

Sanzo had managed to get a good hour of quiet reading done before Aya came to ask him about refreshments, so he didn't even look up from his book when he heard someone coming down to the basement for the second time that night.

"Steeped for 15 minutes, no honey," Aya said holding out a tray with two cups of green tea and the kettle, letting Sanzo take the nearest one with a barely audible 'Doumo'. "Will you need another book, tonight? I have plenty of books written in Chinese."

"Japanese is fine; I'm in Japan, after all," Sanzo replied, but looked over at the book in Aya was holding beneath the tray: '_Philosophy as Metanoia _by Tanabe Hajime'. He then looked over at the bookshelf against the near wall. "Watsuji, Kong Fu Zi,Gandhi… Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard … all in their original languages as well as Japanese. You have your own library."

"I do enjoy Philosophy quite a bit, specifically the political and government theorists." Aya sat down on the couch with his own cup of tea, noting the other man's choice of authors to name. "Most of the books are inherited, but I've read all of them at least once."

Sanzo pulled his reading glasses off and looked at the redhead. "It's a surprise to find someone else so well read in Philosophy, considering how entrenched in Western ideals the field is. So … you are as familiar with Political Realism in Kautilya's Arthashastra as with Immanuel Kant's Democratic Peace Theory?"

"As intimately as with The Art of War by Sun Tzu and Thomas Hobbes' Social Contract Theory," Aya responded. It had become a game. "Though I still know my classical philosophers as well as ever. 'Philosophy is the acquisition of knowledge', after all, 'for wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder.' "

"Ch. You insult me - Plato." After sipping on his tea, Sanzo decided to return with a quote of his own. "However, 'the object of philosophy is the logical clarification of thoughts', is it not?"

Aya grinned, then chose to respond in a proficient German accent. "Ludwig Wittgenstein." The redhead continued to sip his tea. "In our line of work, it pays to know how the human mind can manage to rationalize just about anything. Sometimes it leads to a clue; sometimes it leads to the target."

Sanzo just nodded in agreement, realizing that for once in a long while he was actually **enjoying** talking to another human being.

Soon, they were having a pleasant conversation. They discussed meaning and object in Edmund Husserl; questioned applying Maurice Merleau-Ponty to feminist philosophy, rather than the traditional subject of phenomenology; and debated John Locke and Thomas Hobbes on human nature. This lead to Aya insisting that Sanzo read up on realist political theory in _The Prince_ by Niccoló Machiavelli as well as commodity fetishism as defined by Karl Marx. It was these and many other philosophical matters they'd only read about in books, but had never had the chance to discuss with another person, that managed to keep them engaged for nearly two hours.

Aya actually gulped down the rest of his tea and gave a forlorn look into the empty cup before moving to pout another cup for himself. He continued speaking as he did so, saying, "Omi's too young too understand and appreciate the gray areas of such things; he's still a little too idealistic for debate."

Sanzo had long since finished his tea and was on his second cup. "If he's too optimistic, Hakkai's too pessimistic."

"Ken and Youji have never and would never pick up any of these books; they'd be able to understand the words well enough, but to grasp the deeper meaning?" Aya shook his head. "It would take ages."

"Same with Goku and Gojyo; they **could**, but would never choose to."

They sat in silence for a moment before Sanzo spoke up. "You have something other than Philosophy on your mind now."

Aya set down his cup and folded his hands, putting them on his knees. He closed his eyes, as if contemplating what to say. Then, blazing violet eyes opened staring straight into amethyst ones, but neither man spoke, instead trying to draw meaning from the look in each other's eyes.

_Those are the eyes I saw during that mission night,_ Sanzo realized.

It had been as 'Sheng' was staring down the barrel of his gun, down the blade of a katana, and straight into the cold eyes of 'Abyssinian' that Sanzo discovered an equal in battle. Here was someone who didn't allow his weapon to do all the work, but instead used the weapon as a finishing touch on abilities already present in the person.

Guns settled most fights in the blink of an eye, but they were noisy; Sanzo's prowess as a marksman and ability to determine the gun's necessity was the only thing that kept him carrying one even though his job required such stealth. Sometimes, he never fired a single shot, but if a situation arose where a bullet was need, 'Sheng' never wasted a bullet.

To have someone with a close-range weapon - an archaic sword, nonetheless – such as Aya dodge his shots and challenge his own ability to avoid danger was nigh short of a miracle in Sanzo's mind. Yet, here Aya sat, having just proved to be Sanzo's equal in mental awareness, staring at him with identically colored eyes.

Sanzo could tell the other man was intending to get even more serious than politics and governments. Much as it went against his nature, he felt compelled to listen to what Aya was going to tell him.

"The four of them left at 9. They probably got into a movie by 10. They'll be out by midnight to 12:30 and back here by 1am," the swordsman murmured.

The blond looked over at the wall clock. "Meaning they'll be back very soon—" he noted, but his former opponent cut him off.

"Youji won't be back before 4am."

Sanzo closed his eyes and sighed. "I see."

"Meaning the same for that other guy – the one from your team."

Sanzo had no trouble interpreting the question hidden in that statement, but he decided not to answer it anyway. "Ch. I'm not the kind to worry about my teammates' activities outside of missions."

"Neither am I … normally."

Purple eyes filled with curiosity. "Hm?"

Aya smirked a little. "I don't worry about my teammates, but this is Youji in his element and with a similar companion."

Sanzo snorted. "Gojyo wouldn't dare do anything stupid like what you're thinking; I'd shoot the moron before he got in the door."

"For whose sake?" Aya wondered aloud.

"Yours, apparently, since that Youji guy appears to belong to **you**." Sanzo took a drink of tea at this. He was amazed to find himself talking this long with someone he barely knew, and he could hear how parched Aya was too.

Aya shielded his eyes from Sanzo by hanging his head ever so slightly. "Youji doesn't belong to me."

_He didn't deny it,_ Sanzo noted to himself and decided to make sure. "But you're lovers."

"Boyfriends; it's different." He didn't move an inch.

Sanzo had a wry smile on his face as the shock and understanding of where this conversation was headed dawned on him. Yet, his face betrayed none of this. "Oh … is that a **fact**?"

_Kami-sama, if Youji hadn't gotten this insane idea into his head, I'd never be speaking about this in public. _The swordsman met the gunman's eyes again. "Yes. I don't belong to Youji and he doesn't belong to me. We're friends above all else, and lovers second. I despise being fussed over, but it turns out that's just his way."

Sanzo was intrigued by that last comment, since it echoed his own experiences so much, so he closed his eyes in an attempt to hide his curiosity. "His way? Of doing what?"

Aya sighed and leaned his head back against the couch. "He can say that he loves me, but it doesn't matter … not even in bed …" He shut his eyes tightly for a moment, having strained to keep from blushing at that last remark. "On the other hand, he **can** show that he **cares** … when he makes sure I'm sleeping well in spite of our missions … that I'm eating right even if it interrupts my training … that–"

"That you ignore the rain and the memories it brings? That you can stop being strong for a few minutes at a time without fear of being vulnerable?" Sanzo opened his eyes again and noticed Aya sit back up. He decided to reciprocate the storytelling, but only a little bit, if it meant Aya would get to his point. "I came to know those feelings only recently …"

"Because of … Gojyo?"

Sanzo blushed like Aya had only ever seen Ken do_. How did this 'Abyssinian' pin it down so fast?_ "You think it's **_that_** insufferable idiot?"

A smile tugged at the corner of Aya's mouth. " 'Insufferable idiot' – I rather like that; it suits Youji as much as you seem to think it fits Gojyo." The redhead watched Sanzo turn away. "If you're anything like me – and it seems you are – an 'insufferable idiot' is the only kind of person who could accomplish such a feat."

Sanzo only made a 'ch' sound, which was both a denial and a request to continue.

"In addition, it **must** be a teammate, because they're the only people who you've allowed get even remotely close to you by necessity of the job you've chosen." Now Aya was smiling, because the information provided to him had been correct after all; he and Sanzo **were** very much alike, as evidenced by Sanzo's reactions. "Am I right?"

Aya had spoken so leisurely about it that Sanzo had to admit that they truly were in a similar predicament as far as idiotic playboys went – that Aya could actually **empathize** with him. "Yeah … it's that pervert. However, we're not friends – hell, we can barely stand each other at times. He flirts with girls on sight, takes my smokes and my lighter –" Sanzo suddenly had a craving for a cigarette and reached down to search for his Marlboros then his lighter, but only found the former. "Case in point …" Sanzo muttered harshly, "That bastard – and without even telling me!"

Aya blinked as he took in the comment, paused, and then asked, "Why would he take your lighter?"

Sanzo growled as he held his forehead with his left hand. "His lighter is some cheap shit he bought at a convenience store a while back – he buys a new one every few months or so." He breathed deeply for a moment before continuing. "**Mine**, on the other hand, is a Zippo© and that thing never breaks; needs the filter replaced every once in a while, but doesn't break completely."

Aya readjusted his sitting position so that he was leaning his weight on his right side while still looking at Sanzo, his right arm propped up on the couch and his hand supporting his head with his left arm hanging down in front. "I don't smoke, but Youji does. He's the one who likes beer, bars, smoking, dancing – any loud place where he can't hear himself think is a good 'date' location for him."

"I can't stand those places, but then again I don't go out either. Smokes and beer, yes, but a quiet place to read is the only place I want to be past 9pm," Sanzo remarked coolly.

Red eyebrows rose with curiosity. "You don't go out – not even with Gojyo, now that you're—"

Sanzo snarled, cutting Aya of, "Ch, like hell with Gojyo. The three of us drink in the common room of our hotels without serving Goku. Otherwise, Gojyo goes out by himself, which he **knows** pisses me off-"

"Wait …" Aya had suddenly realized why this 'mission' had been so important to Youji in particular and why Youji had **insisted** Aya be the one to talk to Sanzo while he met with Gojyo. "Your teammates … don't know, do they?" The swordsman had been searching all evening for some point of distinction where his personal experiences with Youji differed from Sanzo's purported relationship with Gojyo and found none … until now. 'Insufferable idiots' had a habit of preferring to be more **outgoing** with their affections, Aya had discovered, and if Sanzo wasn't allowing **any** of that in his relationship … _No wonder Youji took this so personally._

More blush rose from Sanzo's cheeks. "No and if they ever find out it'll be too soon – it's a reason for dismissal from Kritiker, isn't it?"

_Ah ha, maybe this is the problem …_ the redhead hoped. "It's debatable."

"What?" Sanzo glared in Aya's direction for an answer.

"I said it's debatable," the swordsman replied. "What is grounds for dismissal is stress and tension amidst teammates when it's a lethal group like both of ours. The truth is that relationships between teammates often lead to heightened stress for a group, thus the debate." Aya couldn't believe he'd just said all that in one breath. "Our contact, Manx, found out about it a few weeks after our teammates did and she agreed to keep quiet about it as long as those signs didn't show."

"Funny," Sanzo chuckled wryly, "Anyone but our contact, Kanzeon, would take one look at our group and claim we could **never** complete a mission together – that we hate each other's guts, to put it **lightly**."

"But you're all just that close."

Sanzo nodded before sipping his tea for the first time in what felt like hours. "I hate to admit it, but it's just the connections that developed between us – we're like brothers, parents, uncles–"

"Lovers."

"Ch."

_Time to get down to business. _"Let me tell you something, Sanzo-san…"

_Okay, you have my attention now - **not one** of those guys use an honorific with me unless they're being sarcastic,_ Sanzo thought to himself, quite amazed at the stark difference between Aya and any of the Saiyuki members.

"It sounds to me like your relationship with Gojyo is a lot like it was at first for Youji and I – everything was a secret and the only thing we had was sex." Sanzo blushed at that. "But haven't you gotten tired of that?" Aya paused for a response.

It was the blond's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Tired of what?"

Aya tried to muster as much courage as he could to say what he knew Youji wanted him to say. _Now Youji has _me_ pushing his agenda, too! The idiot really has made me go soft … _"Back then, the only time we were lovers was in the bedroom. It felt like I was just another one-night-stand for a playboy who could move on at any time. Youji denied he would ever do such a thing … but it didn't really hit him until I told him: I didn't want a lover, I wanted a **boyfriend**; I didn't just want sex, I wanted a **relationship**."

Perplexed by Aya's minute distinction in meaning, Sanzo decided to get clarification. "But I thought you said he 'cared', Fujimiya-san?"

"Not in the beginning," the redhead reminisced. "We'd been so stressed out with missions at the time that we hadn't had **time** to become 'boyfriends', but once things calmed down and Youji stopped treating me like another one of his possessions – when he made some compromises, like where and when he smoked, or where we went out together – that we were finally able to 'be together' beyond sex." Aya was taking a great chance here and he was hoping Sanzo realized it – baring his soul and personal life was something he'd **never** have down without outside intervention from someone he trusted as much as Youji.

Sanzo stuck an unlit cigarette in his mouth, knowing he wouldn't be able to light it, but hoping it would calm his nerves just the same. "Not a chance in hell that would ever happen for me. I don't date; this thing with Gojyo came up out of the blue. I told you, we can barely stand each other … our similarities end up forcing us apart most of the time. But then …"

"Then?"

Sanzo sighed, drawling on his cigarette some more. "Then all he has to do is look at me the right way, or touch me in the right spot …"

"And I melt," two voices proclaimed at once.

Sanzo met Aya's gaze; the other man had anticipated what Sanzo was going to say and so they'd said it simultaneously.

Aya smiled bitterly, a knowing look in his eyes. "He calls you the Ice Prince behind your back, doesn't he?"

Sanzo bit his cigarette a little tighter. In the darkness of the room, Aya's eyes almost seemed to glow and his features were deviously feline in appearance. _Aya is **grinning** like … like Gojyo!_ Sanzo felt like he was about to die of blush when Aya spoke next.

Eyes narrowing ever so slightly, Aya spoke barely above a whisper, as if making sure only Sanzo would ever, ever hear his words. "But he can make you melt into his arms and the worst part is you **want** to melt with him – to **make** him melt with you and know that you have that kind of influence on him."

The blond did his best to compose himself and return the favor to Aya. "Heh. Half the time **I'm** the one making **him** melt." Sanzo looked smug at that remark, also kept low in volume. "He gave up the playboy lifestyle because he doesn't want anyone else … that no one else can satisfy him anymore …" He looked in Aya's direction for a reaction. "Or so he says."

It was Aya's turn to blush a bit. "To each his own. I really prefer letting Youji do most of the work, but I understand completely what it's like to have an 'ex-playboy' for a boy… friend…"

Sanzo looked up when Aya trailed off; the redhead looked surprised all of a sudden, as if he'd been hit with a brilliant idea. "Fujimiya-san?"

Aya looked at the wall clock, then turned to face Sanzo with his hands clasped and resting on his knees. "Sanzo-san, I have an idea … let's make a bet regarding these two idiots we call lovers."

Sanzo wasn't sure what to make of that. "I'm listening."

"I'm guessing Omi and the others will be coming back shortly, but I don't think that Youji and Gojyo will be back for another four hours … You claim to enjoy being the initiator at least some of the time, do you not, Sanzo-san? Surely it's not such an easy feat as you claim it to be, if Gojyo was indeed as much a playboy as Youji was … Therefore, I propose a competition … Whoever wins a bet against the correct return time of our lovers must try to fluster their respective one as much as possible, then the loser has to try to do better."

A pale pink blush returned to Sanzo's cheeks. "And **why, **exactly, would I want to do such a thing?"

The redhead smiled sincerely. "Because when I said that Youji did some compromising, I failed to mention that **_I_** had to do some compromising too. I'm thinking that Sanzo-san could make his Gojyo very amenable to a change in the relationship if he was the one to initiate the change."

"And if I say that I don't want a change?"

"Then I'd say you were lying." Aya smirked. "I've spent this entire conversation learning about you in one way or another, Sanzo-san, so you can't tell me my stories had no effect on you. Maybe it's not jealousy, per se, but I saw the longing in your eyes … for **something** more with Gojyo." He dropped his voice again so he could whisper. "You like being aggressive, Sanzo-san? I'm challenging you to be aggressive in **other** ways."

Sanzo closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Taking the cigarette out of his mouth with his left hand, his right hand massaged his temple as if seriously considering the notion. Suddenly, amethyst eyes bore into violet. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of."

_Time for a change of tactics,_ Aya decided. "Well, then, I guess I can't force you." He sat back in his chair and proceeded to pour another cup of tea for himself. "Shall I refill your cup as well, Sanzo-san?"

_Wait a minute …_ Sanzo tried to keep up with Aya's nonverbal signals. "You seemed so insistent just a moment ago."

Aya schooled his face to be as plain as possible, as Youji had taught him to do when he learned Poker. "No, it was simply a suggestion. If you don't think you can go through with it..."

"Oh no, I'm not falling for that…"

"Falling for what?" Keeping his voice as monotone as possible, Aya took on the air of 'Abyssinian' again. _It's only fitting, if this is indeed a 'mission'…_

"Don't try that reverse-psychology crap on me, Fujimiya. You're going to tell me that I can't do it, to which I'm supposed to reply, 'Oh yeah?' and prove you wrong. Hell no; you can forget it." Sanzo felt satisfied with that response.

"I said nothing of the sort."

"But you were thinking it."

"Sanzo-san, I would never force you to do something you're uncomfortable with. If you want to let things continue as they are, that's fine."

A blond eyebrow raised in suspicion. " 'As they are?' What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Aya was spared answering by a warm 'TADAIMA!' ringing out through the house followed by a much softer 'Yare yare desu ne.'

Without even looking at Sanzo, Aya got up, taking the platter and teakettle with him, and then walked up the stairs to the flower shop.

Sanzo could hear Aya speaking with Hakkai and Omi about the sleeping arrangements while Goku and Ken were reviewing the most action-packed moments of the movie.

A lighter set of footfalls came down the stairs and this time it was Omi who greeted Sanzo with a smile he must have picked up from Goku. "Good evening, Sanzo-san, I hope you and Ayan had a nice time tonight?"

"Yeah … it was a real winner of an evening." Sanzo consoled himself with the fact that he had never actually agreed to Fujimiya's crazy plan. _I never did trust guys who talked too much … Guess he's no exception. _

"Well, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind Hakkai-san and Goku-kun sleeping down here again, since it seems Goku-kun liked falling asleep to the TV so much…" Omi trailed off.

"Why would I?" Sanzo muttered as he got up, replacing his bookmark between the pages he'd **been** reading before Fujimiya decided to be conversational. He walked upstairs with Omi in tow and sat down at the kitchen table, grateful to see that Fujimiya was making another pot of tea; he was going to need it.

Now that Sanzo was on the same floor as the two sports-maniacs, he could hear even more of their conversation as they interrupted one another, berated the other for misremembering a part, and even defended the actions of the main characters, both protagonists and antagonists.

Hakkai appeared at the doorway. "Ah, Sanzo, you look as chipper as ever … I'm surprised you're not asleep yet."

"So am I." Hakkai didn't miss the glare Sanzo sent Aya's direction.

"Well, if I could borrow Fujimiya-san for just a moment, I was hoping he could help me get the futon out again for Goku," Hakkai requested.

"Oh, right, I was supposed to get the linens –" With that, Omi was off to the stairwell leading up as Aya followed Hakkai downstairs, leaving Sanzo alone in the kitchen.

Taking the still unit cigarette out of his mouth, Sanzo groaned and crushed the cigarette into the nearby ashtray. "Ch… What a pain in the ass this whole thing is turning out to be."


	3. On the Prowl

Disclaimer: _Weiss Kreuz_ belongs to Koyasu Takehito and _Saiyuki_ belongs to Minekura Kazuya. I'm just a fan-girl with more than one obsession. XD

Thanks to: ASeptemberRose for coming up with Drinking Buddies link: in the first place and letting me write this side story. :-D

-

**Drinking Buddies Side B #3 – On the Prowl**

-

It was 1 o'clock before Aya and Sanzo were once again the only ones in the house awake. After preparing everyone's beds, Omi and Hakkai were forced to spend a great deal of effort trying to get Goku and Ken to forget the movie for the evening – no matter how cool the CG graphics were, or how realistic the martial arts had been, or how great the pacing proved to be – and simply go to bed.

Sanzo broke their precious silence. "I never did agree to your bet."

Aya put his cup down. "Will you?"

"I still don't understand why."

"Why what?"

"Why I would want to do it, why you want me to do it, why you think it will change anything, why … I'd have to make a **fool** of myself just to get Gojyo's attention," Sanzo finally admitted.

Aya smirked. "I can understand all that, but I was hoping you could just trust me—"

"Not happening."

"I figured. The truth is, Sanzo-san … because I'm sympathetic to your situation."

"I don't need sympathy."

"Perhaps not, but I do know that every once in a while everyone could use a push in the right direction when it comes to things they're inexperienced with. I'd never call myself an expert on relationships, but I think I'm an expert on being **in** a relationship with a devoted idiot. It has its drawbacks, I'll admit," Aya chuckled wryly, "but trust me when I say I wouldn't trade it for the world."

Sanzo could tell there was, perhaps, a second reason, but didn't push it. "What about actually waiting up for the idiots?"

Aya shrugged. "We could trade stories here, which keeps us near the tea kettle, but if you'd rather I leave you alone to read, since I'm sure it's at least as rare an occasion for me as it is for you …"

Sanzo was forced to nod at that. "It is rare, but strangely … I enjoy your company, Fujimiya-san."

The swordsman smiled, which he was finding less and less strange as the evening went on. "I'm glad, because I enjoy yours as well, Sanzo-san. But, I'll tell you this, the best reason for waiting for them is interrogating them upon their return."

Sanzo snorted. "You really intend to interrogate your 'boyfriend', Fujimiya-san?"

The 'Abyssinian' look came over again. "They **will** be drunk, Sanzo-san, and **very** easy to get information out of, if we play our cards right … to make sure they weren't up to anything we'd disapprove of."

Sanzo actually smiled in response. "I see … in the event that we need to punish them."

"Exactly."

-

Aya shut the door behind him as the sound of Gojyo and Youji fighting to be first up the stairs filled the hallway. He prayed none of the other four woke up as a result.

Soon he heard a 'THUMP!' as who he assumed was Youji hit the other side of the door to the room they shared and began fumbling with the handle. Aya held the handle loose, let Youji stumble into the room by opening it, and then promptly shut the door behind him.

Youji turned around and flung himself on Aya, wrapping him in a fierce hug as their mouths seared with a quick kiss. "You were absolutely phenomenal, Kitten … the look on Gojyo's face when Sanzo came at him like that… I had **no idea** what going on – I didn't even have to **pretend**!"

Aya glared at his drunken boyfriend in spite of his hands almost unconsciously moving up and under the front of Youji's shirt. "You'd better be right about that being the way to get to Sanzo-san or I'll have talked for nearly five hours straight tonight for nothing."

"Really?" Youji asked with mock surprise. "My Kitten talking for **that** long?" Youji saw Aya open his mouth to retort and so thrust his tongue inside for a kiss that left them both breathless. Youji's right hand came up to massage Aya's nape as the other held him tight against Youji's body. "I'm sure Gojyo will be grateful for your meddling, love, so how about I thank you for all your hard work?" he rasped out.

Aya moaned contentedly, lolling his head to one side.

Youji eagerly attacked the milky flesh with his mouth, nipping and sucking and licking to soothe. "I'll take that as a 'Yes'," he said huskily, his mouth only an inch from Aya's neck such that his breath made Aya shiver. With that he picked up Aya by his thighs and, after a few short steps, gently lay his boyfriend down on their bed before joining him there.

-

Gojyo was astonished to find the door unlocked, since it appeared that Youji's had been locked. Tentatively opening the door, his breath was taken away by the sight of Sanzo at his usual perch on the bay window, the moonlight spilling over him and illuminating the pale skin- the golden hair- the _exquisite_ **_man_** that had so expertly managed to whet his appetite not moments ago. Now, Sanzo had nothing but a lit cigarette in his mouth and jeans on his legs; so Gojyo assumed this was part of the same, continued ploy to torment him.

Gojyo finally found the willpower to take his eyes off of Sanzo to shut the door, turning away for fear of launching himself headfirst on the beautiful blond.

The redhead turned back around, still unable to speak when he met those deep purple eyes. Those same eyes dropped to look at Gojyo's feet. Then, he heard Sanzo's voice … He felt like he hadn't heard it in ages.

"Fujimiya-san will kill you for trekking mud in here."

It suddenly occurred to Gojyo that this was Sanzo initiating their nightly banter. "Well, Fujimiya-san can kiss my ass."

"Moron." Sanzo looked away.

"Unless you'd care to do that for him?" Gojyo suggested hopefully, taking a few steps toward the window.

"I'm not doing the work tonight when you owe me a couple of beers anyway."

_Wait, did he just say…_ "Oh, is that my punishment for leaving you behind?" Gojyo placed wide hands on his waist and looked down at his irritatingly beautiful lover.

"Ch."

"Aww, did Sanzo want to come, too?"

"Sanzo wants you to shut your mouth."

"Ah, but **where** does Sanzo want me to shut my mouth?"

Taking the cigarette from his lips, Sanzo blew smoke in Gojyo's face. "Pervert."

Gojyo leaned down, letting his left hand come up to the back of Sanzo's head. "I guess I'll start here then." He pulled Sanzo ever so gently into a kiss. Surprised by the lack of resistance, Gojyo let his tongue part Sanzo's lips and began drinking in the heady emotions of a passionate kiss that he realized was normally reserved for **during** sex, not as a prelude to it.

When Gojyo remembered the need for breath, he pulled back just enough to let his forehead rest against Sanzo's, noticing now that Sanzo's right hand, free of the cigarette that the left possessed, was on his hip with a force almost enough to drag the redhead into the blond's lap. "Damn, blondie, what'd you two talk about that's got you so eager tonight?"

"I'll say this…" Purple eyes narrowed as he took a last drag on the cigarette before crushing it in his hand and tossing it to the window. At the same time, his right hand splayed out across Gojyo's waist, fingertips inching up underneath of the shirt. "You'd better never leave me **alone** with that guy ever again, got it?"

Wine-colored eyes were blurring at the emotions wracking the redhead's brain as one thought escaped his lips. "Is that a demand for a **date**, Sanzo-chan?"

"You gonna' complain, you insufferable idiot?"

"Fuck no!" Gojyo insisted, giving into his body's demand for contact with Sanzo's by pressing himself against the still-seated man. His erection was pressing against Sanzo's chest as he clasped both hands on either side of his lover's head.

Sanzo responded by clutching Gojyo around the waist with his right arm and the other gripping the redhead's ass through the jeans. He nuzzled at Gojyo's waist and tasted the tan skin there briefly before growling up at the former playboy. "I thought I told you I wasn't going to do the work tonight."

Gojyo gasped at being **commanded** to figure out a way to satisfy both his desire and Sanzo's, his lust-filled brain trying desperately to come up with something. " 'Kay," he finally whispered as he hauled Sanzo to his feet, knocking the chair over in the process before pushing Sanzo against the bed. "I'll do it, all right? I'll do it … Lie down. Face up."

"You'd better know what the hell you're doing, bastard," Sanzo spit out, leaning backwards and down onto the bed. He began pushing himself towards the headboard with his right foot, knee in the air and jean-colored groin openly displayed.

Gojyo groaned inwardly at the precious expletive and the look of hunger in his lover's eyes, then grabbed Sanzo's waist before he could move away any further. "Hell yes, love," the redhead said huskily, leaning on the bed with his left knee before wrapping a long leg around the blond's right leg stretched out on the sheets. "I know **exactly** what I'm doing." He rocked wantonly against Sanzo as his dexterous fingers quickly began to relieve both of them of their jeans.

Sanzo's head fell back on the pillows, arms groping for Gojyo's face. "Then just shut up already and do it." He pulled the redhead down on top of him as their mouths met for an instant.

Propped up on the bed by both arms, Gojyo quickly descended the length of Sanzo's neck. There he paused to whisper, "My pleasure, Sunshine."

"Why you— Baa…haa…aaa…"

Gojyo didn't wait before continuing his delicious trip down his lover's body, eagerly awaiting the chance to prove to Sanzo just how good he was on top … and still receiving the better end of the stick, in his mind. "Show me just how hot that lighter of yours can get, blondie, 'cuz I'm gonna' ride it for all it's worth."

Temporarily stunned by the redhead's proclamation, Sanzo barely registered his jeans being yanked from his legs. The full meaning hit him when he felt Gojyo straddle him, sitting directly on top of his throbbing groin. "Baka," the blond hissed, grabbing onto the sheets of the bed, "you talk too damned much."

Gojyo only grinned triumphantly as he began to slowly rotate his hips, letting words give way to harsh gasps and choking breaths from both of them as he made love to the gorgeous man still cursing beneath him.

-

The next morning, Hakkai rose early, fully intending to make breakfast again for his newfound friends and his teammates. He took his monocle off of the end-table by the couch – where he'd been sleeping – and looked over at Goku snoring peacefully on the floor, sprawled out every which way and only barely still on the spare futon. He was about to get up to take a shower when he saw a tiny note next to where his monocle had been. Upon reading it, he smiled broader than he had in days, perhaps weeks.

'Mission complete.'

-Owari-


End file.
